Ed.—in
this online transcription of Smiles's 'Smeaton and Rennie', I have added a number of images to those
originally published, mainly to illustrate their work of those
engineers as it
exists today. Additional images are listed separately in the
index at the bottom
of this page. Captions, together with footnotes prefixed "Ed.", are my own.

SHIPPING AND HARBOURS.Commercial and maritime greatness of England
comparatively modern—Commerce conducted by foreigners—English
adventurers—Supremacy of the Dutch—English and foreign
piracy—English harbours—The Cob at Lyme Regis—Dover—Yarmouth—Docks
at Liverpool—Docks on the Thames—The Thames the silent
highway—Travelling by sea—Passage by ferries.

BEACONS AND LIGHTHOUSES.Origin of lighthouses—Island of Pharos—Roman
lighthouses at Boulogne and Dover—Whitby--The Saxon shore—Norse
lighthouses—Flamborough—Pitch-pots on the south coast—Lights at
Winchelsea—Dungeness—St. Catherine's Lighthouse—Lights by coal
fires—The Trinity House—Jobbing of Lighthouses—Smalls Rock,
Bristol—The Skerries—Eddystone—Rye and Arundel Lights—False
Lights—The Tour de Cordovan.

OLD BRIDGES.Old fords—Necessity for bridges—Ancient British
bridges on Dartmoor—Roman bridges—Early English bridges—St.
Swithin's, at Winchester—Croyland Bridge—Bow Bridge—Order of
Brothers of the Norwich, Bridge—Bridge &c.—Rochester Bridges built
by the early Churchmen at Burton, Norwich, Wade, &c.—Rochester
Bridge—Wakefield Bridge—Monmouth Bridge—Llanrwst Bridge.

OLD LONDON BRIDGE.Thames Ferry, between London and Southwark—John Overy
and St. Mary Overy—The first London Bridge of wood—Rebuilt of
stone—The foundations—Time occupied in the building—Description of
the old bridge—The piers, roadway, and street—A second bridge on the
Thames opposed—Westminster Bridge built by Labelye—Blackfriars
Bridge—The Mylnes, engineers.

WILLIAM EDWARDS, BRIDGE BUILDER.Memoir of William Edwards—His early life—Learns
drystone wall-building—Self- education—Builds iron forges—Studies
the ruins of Caerphilly Castle—His three successive bridges over the
Taff—Pont-y-Prydd—His other bridges—His character—His sons also
bridge builders.
――――♦――――

SMEATON'S BOYHOOD AND EDUCATION.John Smeaton's birth and education—Leeds at the
beginning of last century—Road communications of the neighbourhood—Austhorpe
Lodge—Smeaton's mechanical amusements—Leeds Grammar-school—Smeaton's
workshop—Hindley's account of his boyish occupations.

SMEATON LEARNS THE TRADE OF MATHEMATICAL INSTRUMENT MAKER.Placed in an attorney's office—Attends the Law Courts
in Westminster Hall—Learns the trade of mathematical instrument
maker—Attends meetings of the Royal Society—His mechanical
contrivances and inventions—His paper on the Natural Powers of Wind
and Water to Turn Mills—An indefatigable student—Turns his attention
to civil engineering—His tour in Holland.

THE EDDYSTONE ROCK—WINSTANLEY'S AND RUDYERD'S LIGHTHOUSES.Dangers of the Eddystone Rock—Necessity for a
lighthouse—Henry Winstanley—His eccentricities—Designs and erects
the first lighthouse on the Eddystone—Is washed away in a storm—John
Rudyerd—Builds the second lighthouse—Is destroyed by fire—Mr.
Smeaton applied to for a design.

CHAPTER IV.
SMEATON'S LIGHTHOUSE ON THE EDDYSTONE.Lord Macclesfield's recommendation of Smeaton as
engineer of the new lighthouse on the Eddystone—His investigation of
the subject—Decides that it must be built of stone—The design—His
journey to Plymouth—His visits to the rock—Makes a model of the
proposed building—Mr. Jessup appointed resident engineer, and the
excavations commenced—Dangers of the work—Smeaton narrowly escapes
shipwreck—Progress of the work—Smeaton's courage—His carefulness as
to details—Smeaton on the Hoe—The lighthouse finished and the light
exhibited—Its uses—The lights in the English Channel.

CHAPTER V.
MR. SMEATON'S EMPLOYMENT AS A CIVIL ENGINEER.Smeaton appointed receiver for the Derwentwater
estates—The roads and commerce of England—General want of
capital—Smeaton extensively employed as an engineer—Improvement of
navigations—Calder Navigation—His Report on the drainage of the
Lincoln and Cambridge Fens—Various drainage works—Repairs London
Bridge—Designs pumpin—engines—Erects bridge at Perth—Constructs
Forth and Clyde Canal—Erects bridge at Coldstream—Designs
improvements for the Carron Works—Banff Bridge—Hexham Bridge—St.
Ives Harbour—Ramsgate Harbour—Use of the Diving-bell—Eyemouth
Harbour—Mills and machinery erected by Smeaton—His improvements in
Newcomen's steam-engine.

CHAPTER VI.
SMEATON'S PRIVATE LIFE—DEATH AND CHARACTER.Smeaton's home at Austhorpe—His study and
workshop—His blacksmith—Papers contributed to Royal Society—His
tools—His lathe—His mechanical ingenuity and skill—His visits to
London—Engineers' first club—His views of money—Refuses an
engagement to serve the Empress of Russia—Determines to publish an
account of his works—His opinion of literary composition—His
manners--Anecdote of Smeaton and the Duchess of Queensberry—His
domestic character—His benevolence—Recognition of his eminent
intellectual ability—His great industry—Failure of his health—Death.
――――♦――――

LIFE OF JOHN RENNIE.
____________

CHAPTER I.
RENNIE'S BOYHOOD AND EDUCATION.Rennie born at Phantassie, East Lothian—Scotland at
the middle of last century—The roads—State of agriculture in the
Lothians—The population—Their poverty and want of spirit—Engineering
and architecture—Old bridges—The mechanical arts at the lowest
ebb—The art of teaching—Grammar and parish-schools—Rennie's early
education—His mechanical habits—His education under Andrew Meikle—Dunbar
Grammar School.

CHAPTER III.
RENNIE BEGINS BUSINESS AS MILLWRIGHT AND ENGINEER.Rennie frequents Andrew Meikle's workshop—Begins
business as a millwright—Prepares designs and estimates—Attends the
University of Edinburgh—Dr. Robison—Rennie's studies and
amusements—Mills erected by him in Scotland—Tour in England—Visits
James Watt at Birmingham—Rennie builds his first bridge near
Edinburgh—Removes to Birmingham—Is engaged to superintend the
erection of the Albion Mills, Southwark.

CHAPTER IV.
THE ALBION MILLS—MR. RENNIE AS ENGINEER.London in 1785—Coaches and turnpike roads—Trade—The
shipping of the Thames—Erection of the Albion Mills—The first
employment of the steam-engine in driving mill machinery—Rennie's
extensive use of ironwork in their erection—The Albion Mills
destroyed by fire—Rennie's employment on similar works—Earl Stanhope
and steam navigation—Rennie undertakes works of civil
engineering—Constructs the Kennet and Avon Canal—The Rochdale
Canal—The Lancaster Canal—Various canal works—The Royal Canal,
Ireland.

CHAPTER V.
MR. RENNIE'S DRAINAGE OF THE LINCOLN AND CAMBRIDGE FENS.Recommends the employment of the steam-engine in Fen
drainage—Drowned state of the Lincoln Fens—Arthur Young's account of
them—The East Fen—Sir Joseph Banks resolves upon their drainage—Mr.
Rennie employed to devise a plan for draining Wildmore Fen—His
comprehensive view of the subject of Fen drainage—His catchwater
system—His report—The works executed—Great Hobhole Drain—Effects of
the drainage on agriculture—His proposed improvement of the Witham
at Boston—Reports on the drainage of the Great Level—Eau Brink
Cut—Characteristics of Fen scenery.

CHAPTER VI.
MR. RENNIE'S BRIDGES.Dr. Robison visits Rennie in London—Theory and
practice in bridge-building—Early designs of bridges—Designs Kelso
Bridge—Musselburgh Bridge—Projected cast-iron bridge over the Menai
Straits—Boston Bridge—Rennie's various designs of bridges--Waterloo
Bridge—Its distinctive features—Foundation of the piers—The
centering—Mode of fixing the centres—The bridge road—Completion of
the work—Southwark Bridge—The iron-work—Details of
construction—Characteristics of the bridge.

CHAPTER VII.
THE BELL ROCK LIGHTHOUSE.Dangers of the Bell Rock—Scotch lighthouses—Plans of
a lighthouse on the Bell Rock proposed—Rennie requested to
report—His recommendations adopted—Appointed engineer—Prepares
detailed plans of the lighthouse—The excavations commenced—Dangers
of the work described by Mr. Stevenson, resident engineer—Rennie's
visits to the rock—Recommends modifications in the plans, which are
adopted—The lighthouse finished—Mr. Rennie's claims as chief
engineer vindicated.

CHAPTER VIII.
MR. RENNIE'S DOCKS AND HARBOURS.Growth of the Trade of London—Pirates and plunderers
on the Thames—Necessity for docks William Jessup, C.E.—Rennie's
London Docks—Construction of the lock entrances—Arrangement of the
working details—The East India Docks—Improved methods of
working—Report on Wick Harbour—The River Clyde—Grimsby
Docks—Invention of hollow quay walls—Holyhead Harbour—Hull Harbour
and Docks—Invention of the dredging-machine—Leith Docks—Various
harbour works—Rennie's principles of harbour construction—Ramsgate
Harbour—Improvement of the Diving-bell.

CHAPTER IX.
MR. RENNIE'S WAR DOCKS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT WORKS.Rennie extensively employed by Government—Defences of
the coast—Defensive Works on the river Lea—The Hythe Military Canal
constructed after his designs—Fulton's Torpedo—Report on the
Government dockyards—Recommends extensive improvements and
concentration of dockyard machinery—Plymouth, Portsmouth, Deptford,
Woolwich, Chatham—His plan of a naval arsenal at Northfleet—Sheerness
dockyard works—Construction of the great dockyard wall—Design of
Medway improvement.

CHAPTER X.
PLYMOUTH BREAKWATER.Plymouth Sound—Plans for its protection from
southerly winds—Mr. Rennie's report thereon—His plan of a breakwater
adopted—The works commenced—Methods employed—Effects of
storms—Modifications of the plan—The works completed by Sir John
Rennie—Uses of the breakwater.

CHAPTER XI.
MR. RENNIE'S LAST WORKS-HIS DEATH AND CHARACTER.Rennie's extensive and various employment as civil
and mechanical engineer—Advises the introduction of steam-power into
the Royal Navy—The 'Comet' built—New London Bridge, his last great
design—His private life—Failure of health—Short continental tour—His
close application—Death—His
portrait—Habits—Conscientiousness—Truthfulness—Anecdote of his
handiness as a mechanic—Love of old books—Solidity of his
structures—Conclusion.